Original Settlers

Many of the people in our family line share a great heritage of being some of the earliest settlers of New England, primarily of Newbury, MA and other towns in Essex County; Kittery and Elliot, ME; Burke, NY.

Kittery, ME – Plantation of Piscataqua. The territory of the Berwicks was set off in 1713 and Eliot in 1810. The first settlement was at Kittery Point about 1623.

Eliot, ME - The area was settled around 1632 and named Sturgeon Creek, and was considered the north parish of Kittery.

Nicholas Frost settled at Sturgeon Creek about 1636. He filled various offices of the town and died in 1663 at age 74. Of his many decendants, several were eminent in their generation.

1784 Map for Context

Newbury, MA – Originally, Quasca Cunquen, then Newebery. Each of the first settlers was granted a house lot of at least four acres, with a suitable quantity of salt and fresh meadow. Each of the eighteen principal pioneer settlers was granted also an additional twelve acres.

Richard Currier of Salisbury & Amesbury “planter” & “millwright.” One of the most prominent men in the new town.

Rowley, MA –

John Boynton, William Boynton

Joseph Jewett, Maxemilian Jewett

Nantucket, MA -

Tristram Coffin went from Salisbury, Haverill, Newbury, and back to Salisbury before jointly purchasing the island of Nantucket. He was a most influential settler and the first chief magistrate of Nantucket.

Hudson, NH – Nottingham West, John Mitchell was an original setter. His occupation was Sheep herdsman, husbandman. He died in 1739 not long after the town was begun, leaving his widow, Jannet, and six children.